


The Engagement Ring

by violentincest



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fake wedding rings, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Fluff, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, fake weddings, part kid fic, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7555336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violentincest/pseuds/violentincest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur gave Merlin an engagement ring when they were in elementary school. Years later Merlin finds the ring, but surely doesn't mean to keep that promise?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Engagement Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Here's a short, quick idea that I had that I decided to type out. If you like it please let me know in the comments section below! Means a lot!
> 
> Also if anyone would like to RP Merthur with me please let me know! I'm craving to do it and would love to! You can find me on tumblr over at violentincest.
> 
> As always BETA'D by me so excuse any small errors.

Merlin met Morgana at the pub because she said that she needed to talk to him about something. So far they had spent over an hour drinking and shooting the shit. He figured she’d bring up whatever she needed to talk about in her own time.

Morgana sighed and put down her glass. “I’ve been trying to think of a good way to segue-way into this, and how to be as nice about it as I can but…but I can’t figure out how, so I’m just going to come right out and say it. Arthur’s going to propose to Mithian. 

Merlin surprisingly managed not to spit the beer out of his mouth. “What!?”

“He asked me to go ring shopping with him this weekend.”

“Good for him.” Merlin mumbled, playing with his glass.

“This is your last chance Merlin. If you don’t say anything to him now it will be too late.”

“Too late for what? He wouldn't marry her if he didn't love her.”

“Love her? I don’t think so. Like, sure, but we both know this was mostly Uther’s doing. Will you really be able to stand up there as his best man? Will you be able to stay his best friend after the wedding? After they start a family?”

Morgana put her hand up stopping him before he could reply. “The answers no. You think so now but you love him too much. Once all hope is squandered you’ll have no choice but to give him up. It’ll kill you otherwise, and you leaving him will kill Arthur as well. He loves you you know.”

“Yeah. As a child he did. Now, only as a friend. If I tell him and he says no….our friendship will be ruined.”

“It’ll be ruined either way. What do you have to lose?”

Merlin pulled his wallet and threw money down on the table. “I have to go.” he said, grabbing his jacket and leaving.

Merlin threw his keys onto the table as soon as he entered his flat, and went to his bedroom. He crawled under his bed and pulled out an old shoebox that had stickers all over it. Merlin lifted off the lid and looked inside. He brushed aside all the letters him and his friends had passed in school, passed the photographs, and all the little trinkets he saved. Finally he found the little plastic egg. Merlin opened it and dumped the contents onto his hand. On his palm laid a plastic ring with a big red plastic stone.

 

*************************************

Gwen was Merlin’s best friend. That was why he was attending her wedding, even if it was to a girl a year older then them. They met on the elementary school playground after school. Merlin stood to the side of Gwen, and a blonde-haired boy stood to the side of Morgana; Gwen’s “wife”. He had seen the blonde-haired boy before. They were the same age but different classes, so they had never talked.

Merlin watched Gwen walk down the ‘isle’, holding flowers she had found in the grass. Merlin watched as they exchanged rings from a vending machine. Gwen was giggling as she kissed Morgana on the cheek. All throughout the ceremony Merlin could feel the boy staring at him. He ignored it.

 

 

Merlin was reading the next day during break when someone kicked his foot.

“Hey.”

Merlin looked up from his book glaring, and noticed the kid from yesterday. “What?” he snapped, narrowing his eyes even more, angry at having been kicked.

The boy blushed. “I’m Arthur. I saw you at my sister’s wedding yesterday.”

Merlin nodded. “Gwen’s my best friend.”

Arthur paused. “You’re supposed to tell people your name when they give you yours. Do you have manners?”

“Merlin.”

“Merlin.” Arthur repeated and nodded. “Here.” he said holding out a plastic egg in his hand.

Merlin took it and opened it, a ring falling out. “What’s this?”

“A ring ob-i-ous-ly,” he said, pronouncing the word slowly but still incorrectly.

“Why?”

Arthur sighed like Merlin was the one who kicked him and bothered him. “To marry me.”

“You want to get married to me?” Merlin asked looking up. “Why?”

“Because I like your ears. They’re big.”

“They’re not!” Merlin cried, cupping one with his hand.

“And you’re pretty.”

“Would we have to kiss?”

Arthur paused thinking then nodded. “Of course. That’s the rules.”

“Then no. Boys have cooties.”

“But you’re a boy.” he said pointing.

“They’re my cooties. I don’t want yours too.”

Arthur nodded as if that made perfect sense. “Older people don’t have cooties. When we’re older we’ll get married then.”

“Okay.” Merlin went to hand back the ring.

Arthur took it and slid it onto Merlins finger. “It’s an…an…” he paused thinking. “In-gage-ment ring.”

Merlin nodded looking at it.

“You want to play on the swings?”

“No. I’m reading.”

“Okay.” Arthur said sitting down next to him, feet swinging in the air. 

Even though Merlin was trying to read, Arthur didn’t stop talking the entire time.

 

 

 

Merlin wore the ring every day until Year 7. A pretty girl named Freya asked him to be her boyfriend. That night, after he got home. he took it off and put it into the shoe box.

“Where’s your ring?” Arthur asked the next day.

“I took it off.”

“Why?”

“Because Freya’s my girlfriend.”

“But we’re supposed to get married!” Arthur said pouting.

“Arthur, two boys can’t get married.”

“Sure they can. Says who?”

“Have you ever seen two daddies?”

Arthur paused. “No…”

“Exactly! Plus you’re my best friend! Freya’s my girlfriend.”

“Merlin!” Freya called to him from across the lunch room.

“Oh! We’re eating together today! You’re still coming over after school?”

“Yeah.” Arthur nodded, frowning as he watched Merlin run off to his girlfriend.

*************************************

Merlin squeezed the ring in his palm, then stood up and shoved it into his pocket. Morgana was right. He had nothing left to lose.

He almost lost his nerve when he walked up and saw Mithian’s car in Arthur’s drive-way. Merlin knew if he didn’t do it now then he never would. He knocked on the door and cursed inwardly when Mithian answered the door, hair in a messy bun, and nothing except a long shirt of Arthur’s.

“Merlin! Hey! Arthur’s in the shower right now. Did you need something?”

“I uh…well…maybe now isn’t a good time.”

“Nonsense. I’m just watching some telly. Arthur should be out in a jiffy. Come in and wait.”

“Really. It’s not important.”

“Merlin, you’re here past 11 at night. It must be at least a little important.”

Merlin sighed. “I’m going to tell Arthur I love him.”

Mithian paused. “Ahhh. Then I reckon you better come in and wait. She ushered him inside and led him to the sofa. “I’ll be right back.”

Mithian left and came back a few minutes later with her bag and clothes on. “I’ll head home. Tell Arthur we’ll talk later.”

Merlin stood up looking at Mithian confused. “Why aren’t you pissed at me?”

“Merlin…I love Arthur. I do, but we got together because our parents expected us to. I’m only the second girl he dated. His preferences don’t lie with me, and neither does his hear. That, I know, has always belonged to someone else. I’m sure we’ll be better friends anyway.” she grabbed the open bottle of wine that was on the table. “I’ll take this with me though.” she said winking. “And good luck!”

Merlin sat back down flipping through the channels.

“Merlin!” Arthur said surprised. “What are you doing here? Where’s Mithian?” he was wearing a pair of pants, and a t-shirt, his hair still wet.

“She left. Said she’d phone you later. There was something that I needed to talk to you about.”

“Oh? What’s wrong?” he asked coming to sit besides Merlin.

“I saw Morgana tonight.”

Arthur sighed. “What’d she do now? Do I need to get her somewhere?”

“She said you were going to propose to Mithian.”

“She can’t keep anything secret can she?”

“But you see…you already asked someone else to marry you.” Merlin said taking out the ring, and showing it to Arthur. “Don’t you remember?”

“You still have that?” Arthur asked shock written on his face and in his voice.

“Of course.”

“I remember you calling off our engagement if I remember correctly. You said two guys couldn’t marry.”

“I was 11. I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

“Plus, you’d still need to kiss me if we got married. I wouldn’t want to give you my cooties.” Arthur said with a smirk.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I think those disappeared long ago. Though apparently your prattiness didn’t. I’m trying to tell you…if you asked me again….I might say yes.”

“Might?” Arthur asked quirking his eyebrow.

“Fine. Definitely.”

“I don’t know if I want to marry someone so unromantic.”

“Arthur! This is serious! I’m being serious! I’m trying to tell you I love you you cabbage head. Do you still love me?”

“I never stopped.”

“Then marry me.”

“Only if you promise me a new ring. It’s quite tacky to regift those. Pretty cheap too.”  
Merlin sighed. “Yes your highness.” he said sarcastically.

“Good.” Arthur said smiling. “Now can I kiss you?”

“I don’t know. You’re like an over grown child. You still might have cooties.” he replied with a smirk.

Merlin grabbed his hand laughing, as Arthur went to push his chest in annoyance, and pulled Arthur to him smashing their lips together.

“You know,” Merlin said when they broke away panting for air, “your proposal wasn’t very romantic either.”

“Shut up Merlin.” Arthur said picking the ring up off the floor, where it had fallen during their kissing match. “I was five. What’s your excuse?”

“I was jealous.”

“Well you never have to be again.” he said as he slid the ring onto Merlin’s finger, then brought it up to kiss it. “After all, your mine.” Arthur said, looking at Merlin, smiling.


End file.
